10 Problems the San Francisco 49ers Could Face Next Season
Next season, the San Francisco 49ers will have a very similar team to last year’s NFC Championship team. However, even a Super Bowl contender can face some issues. Here is a list of problems the 49ers could face next season:
Dec 23, 2012, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) scrambles out of the pocket against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
1. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks present the biggest potential problem to the Niners next season. The Niners faced the Seahawks twice last season. The first matchup was in Week 7 when Alex Smith was still starting at quarterback, and the Niners were able to win 13-6. The second matchup was in Week 16 when Colin Kaepernick was starting, and the Niners suffered possibly their worst loss of the season when the Seahawks won 42-13 behind an impressive game from Russell Wilson and a great defensive effort.
In terms of this upcoming season, the Niners and Seahawks are arguably the two best teams in the NFC. The two teams match up extremely well basically at every position, and, during the offseason, the two teams almost seemed to be competing with each other with each trade or acquisition. First, the Seahawks acquired Percy Harvin. Soon after, the Niners traded for Anquan Boldin. The Seahawks signed free agent defensive ends Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, and the Niners signed cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, free safety Craig Dahl, special teams ace Dan Skuta and others. The Niners also traded for QB Colt McCoy to back up Colin Kaepernick. The Seahawks lost their backup QB Matt Flynn to the Raiders in a trade, so they will have to address the backup QB issue as well.
The Seahawks are a serious threat to take the NFC West title from the Niners. Both teams have young, promising quarterbacks, strong rushing attacks, and, arguably, the two best defenses in the NFL. This could easily become the most intense, competitive rivalry in all of the NFL.